Adjustable wrench.



0. G. CALDWELL. I

ADJUSTABLE WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.13, 190s.

- Patnted May 4, 1909.

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PATENT FFlCE.

OSCAR O. CALDWELL, OF KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEWIS JACOBS, OF KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON.

ADJ'USSTABLE WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 13, 1908.

Patented May 4, 1909.

Serial No. 462,419.

To all whom "it may concern: 1

Be it known that I, Osoan O. YALDWELL, l a citizen of the United States, and a resi- I dent of lilamath Falls, in the county of j lilamath and tate of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Adjustable t li rench, of which the following is a full, I clear, and exact description. i

This invention relates to wrenches of the j sliding jaw type and has for its object to j provide a wrench of the character indi cated, which consists of but two sections, each cut from plate metal as flat blanks into proper form and completed by lapfolding members of each section upon other portions thereof, the two sections when completed being adapted for slidable engagement and locking adjustment at desired points of separation of the jaws.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the app ended claims.

lleference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved wrench in complete form; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view, substantially on the line 22 in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, substantially on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a side view of a flat plate metal blank cut to proper marginal shape, which when bent so'as to lap fold portions upon each other, constitutes one half section of the wrench Fig. 5 is a side view of a complementary plate metal blanlt that censtitutes the other half section of the wrench, that is completed by bending the port-ions thereof so as to lap them upon adjacent portions; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of portions of the half sections of the 'rench, showing their relative positions when the r are being connected together or detached from each other.

The two sections of the wrench are preferably cut fromsteel plates of a suitable thickness. she blank that has been cut into shape for one of the sections of the wrench and that is shown in flat condition l in Fig. 4, consists of the following integral elements: The portion 10, which in use serves as a lever member, is an elongated flat bar having parallel side edges, a suitable width, and a length proportioned to the capacity for service to be given the completed wrench. Upon one end portion of the lever body 10, that in use forms a part of a grip member therefor, the width of the blank is increased a proper degree at one side edge of the lever body, an edge of said laterally-widened portion 10 being parallel with the opposite edge thereof and furnished with ratchet teeth a,- as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. The part 10 is given proper relative position by lap folding it upon the side of the lever 10 along the line :0 in Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrow thereat, which will dispose the ratchet teeth a at one side of the lever 10 and hooking toward the free end of said lever, as appears in Fig. 1. At or near the opposite end of the lever bar 10, the blank is indented at each side of the edges of the lever, producing two integral lateral extensions 10 10 thereon. The extension. 10 while in flat condition, extends below the lever body or in the same direction as that of. the portion 10.

A wing I) is extended forwardly on the eX- tension 10, and when the wrench section is completed said wing laps upon said extension, being folded on the line a shown in 4, and the free upper edge I) of the wing b, when folded, alines with the lower edge of the lever 10.

Upon the outer or forward end of the wing b, 2. lug b is formed, which while flat, extends above the edge Z), said lug being folded in the direction of the arrow when the wing is folded upon the extension 10 which will dispose the lug as shown in Fig. 1.

The upward extension '10 from the lever 10, is, when completed, bent at a right angle on the line 03 so as to overhang the edge 6 of the wing b, and said extension is again bent on the line :0 so as to produce a depending flange 10 thereon that is disposed above the lug 5 The lower edge of the flange 10 is sloped a suitable degree rear-- ward and upward from the front end thereof which will afford necessary space between the lug and the flange for a purpose hereinafter explained, thus completing one jaw of the wrench.

The other section of the wrench comprises a lever member 11 of substantially an equal length with the lever 10, and for a portion of formed on the rear end portion of the lever 11, which projects from the normally upper edge thereof, and upon the edge of the lever opposite from said flange, a plurality of ratchet teeth 0 are formed, that hook for wardly or in a direction opposite, from that of the teeth a on the other section of the wrench.

From a suitable point between the ends of the lever 11, the width thereof is gradually reduced toward the teeth a that project slightly beyond said sloped edge c, where the latter joins these teeth, as is best shown .in Fig. 5.

On the dotted .line y in Fig. 5, the flange 11 is folded at a right angle in the direction of the arrow at said line, and at the line 3 another right angular bend is formed that rojects a member 11 downwardly therefrom. The space between the depending member 11 and the flange 11 c of which it is-a portion, is such that these parts will loosely embrace the lever body 10 when the two sections of the wrench are assembled for use.

As indicated in Fig. 6, the portion of the lever body 11 that is of reduced width, may be readily introduced between the sloped edge of the depending flange 10 and the lug 6 this insertion being facilitated if the rear portion of the section 11 is inclined at its upper edge away from the lever member 10. The lever body 11 may'now be seated on the edge I) of the wing l), and the rear portion of the lever 11 having the spaced depending flange 11 thereon, be saddled upon the lever body 10, the teeth 0 interlocking with the teeth a, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be noted that the two section of the wrench are laterally engaged with each other so that there can be no displacement while in service. The jaws of the two sections are disposed in parallel planes when the ratchet teeth a, c, are interlocked, and the loose support of the lug b and the flange 10 affords strength to the coacting levers 10 and 11, so that while very light, the wrench is extremely strong and durable.

In use the rear portion where the teeth a, c, are engaged, is grasped by the user of the wrench.

By obvious manipulation, the interlocked teeth a, 0, may be detached, and the jaws slid to open or close them, and it will be seen that the wrench may be readily adjusted by a single motion of one hand to embrace a nut, bolt head or other object upon which it is ap lied.

n the manufacture of the wrench, it is to be understood that these portions which are lapped one upon the other, are preferably heated so that by hea pressure, consolidation of the lapped inen ibers is eifected, but if necessary to insure positive contact therebetween, such lapped elements may be transversely perforated and secured together by a rivet. .[n order to render the wrench durable, all the parts of the same are tempered, and more particularly the Working faces of the wrench aws that incur the greatest wear.

It is obvious that there may begear teeth or equivalent projections substituted for the ratchet teeth a and 0, but for convenience in operation, it is preferred to employ the teeth shown.

Slight changes in proportion of parts and their form may be employed within the scope of the invention, as for example, the jaws of the wrench may be bent at an angle laterall and said jaws may have an increased lengt 1 if this is desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A wrench comprising a plurality of sections of sheet material, one section consisting of a handle portion having at one end lateral extensions on opposite sides thereof, one of which extensions is of a length equal to the length of the other plus the width of the handle portion and is sugerimposed upon the said extension and hand e member to form a jaw, and having at the other end a lateral extension forming a guideway, the other section consisting of a handle member having at one end lateral extensions, one of which extends beyond the handle member, the extended portion being superimposed upon the extension proper, the other extension being bent to form a guideway for the purpose set forth and means in connection with the handle portions for retaining them in adjusted position with respect to each other.

2. A wrench comprising a plurality of sections of sheet material, one section consisting of a handle portion having at one end lateral extensions on opposite sides thereof, one of which extensions is of a length equal to the length of the other plus the width of the handle portion and is superimposed upon the said other extension and handle member to form a jaw, and having at the other end a lateral extension forming a guidewey, the In testimony whereof I have signed my other sectlon eonslstmg 01 a handle portlon name to th1s spec1fioat1on 1n the presence of 10 havlng at one end lateral extenslons, one oi two subsorlblng wltnesses.

which extends beyond the handle member, A

5 the extended portion being superimposed OSCAR CALDWELL upon the extension proper, the other exten- Witnesses: sion being bent to form a guideway for the 7M. H. HARRIS,

purpose set forth. JOHN IRWIN. 

